Rod feeding device



Sept. 2, 1958 G. J. SELVIN ET AL I 2,850,140

ROD FEEDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22. 1955 mm. mWE mE WSR mm A V R 1 R M M L H W NOE 4 0K ATTORNEY Sept 1958 G. J. sELvlN ETAL 2,850,140

ROD FEEDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22. 1955 INVENTORS GERALD J. SELVIN WlLLIAM R. VAN DER VEER ATTORNEY Sept. z, 1958 Filed March 22. 1955 FIGS.

G. J. SELVIN ETAL ROD FEEDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 imm INVENTORS GERALD J. SELVIN WILLIAM R. VAN DER VEER ATTORNEY United States Patent ROD FEEDING DEVICE Gerald J. Selvin, Huntington Station, and William R. Van

d'er Veer, Levittown, N. Y., assignors to Syivania Electric Products Inc., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 22, 1955, Serial No. 495,954

8 Claims. (Cl. 198-20) This invention relates to apparatus for feeding slender, very long articles. In particular, the invention relates to means for automatically feeding thin rods or tubes to a furnace. For the sake of brevity hereafter, the word rod should be interpreted to mean any long article, such as a tube.

It is an object of the invention to provide for automatic lateral and longitudinal feed of the rods.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for control of lateral and longitudinal feed of the rods in accordance with the presence of a rod at a longitudinal feeding station of the machine.

7 These and other objects will be apparent after reading the following specification and claims, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with a side cover plate broken away to expose driving mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig.- 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of switch and valve control mechanism utilized in the machine.

Referring to the drawings with greater particularity, at there is indicated a frame having corner angle irons 12, a bed plate 14, and a table top comprised of two plates 16 and 18 at different elevations. The lower level table top 16 is an open bottomed box supported on longitudinal angle irons 20, while the upper table top is supported by angles 22, mounted on side cover plates 24.

Mounted on the table top 16 are two sets of aligned bearing blocks 26 journaling two shafts 28, each in sections and joined by universal joints 30 to take care of possible misalignment of the shafts in the bearing blocks. Mounted on these shafts are a number of spaced apart sprockets 32. In this illustration, each shaft 28 drives three sprockets. Trained about opposite pairs of sprockets are rod conveyor belts 34 each carrying equally spaced apart rod support channels or cleats 36. Each cleat is U-shaped in form with the base of the cleat fastened to the belt and the distance between the legs of the U a little greater than the diameter of the rods to be fed by the conveyor belts.

Mounted on the shafts and about midway of their length are sprockets 38. Supported on angle irons 40 running transversely of the machine is a pair of bearing blocks 42, rotatively supporting a shaft 44 on which is mounted a-sprocket 46 in the vertical plane of the sprockets 38. Trained about the sprockets 38 and 46 is the driving chain 48. In order to drive the sprocket 46, shaft. 44 fixedly mounts a ratchet 50 driven by a pawl 52 pivotally mounted on an upright 53 on a sleeve 54,, rotatively mounted on the shaft 44, and to which sleeve is integrated an arm 55. This arm is driven in opposite directions by a double acting fluid motor 56, as will be described. Thus each time the arm 55 is oscillated counterclockwise (in Fig. 4),, the rods will be advanced to the left a distance determined by the stroke of the pawl. The stroke of the pawl may be varied ice in various ways, as for example by providing the arm- 55 with a series of aligned holes 58 to which the piston rod of the motor 56 may be coupled. The stroke is adjusted so that with each counterclockwise movement of the arm 55, a cleat 36 will be moved a distance equal to the distance between cleats. The belts 34 run through suitable openings in the table top and safety shields 60 are placed at the ends of the runs of the belts to prevent injury to an operator. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention three conveyor belts 34 are disclosed although obviously with longer rods to be fed, a greater number of belts may be employed. It is sufiicient to employ only one'chain 48 to drive the shafts 28 and through them all of the belts.

The conveyor belts just described serve to move rods laid in the cleats, step by step, toward the rear of the machine and in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. When a rod has reached a position in line with longitudinal feed rollers to be described, it will be fed longitudinally.

The longitudinal rod feeding mechanism will now be described.

Mounted on the bed plate 14 of the machine is a motor 62 Which, through a reducing gear in a housing 64 and a Reaves transmission 66, drives a V-belt 68 and pulley 70. The motor and its driven parts may be adjusted relative to the pulley 70 by conventional motor base adjusting mechanism as indicated at 72. The pulley 70 is mounted on a shaft 74 carried by a standard 75. Pivotally mounted on shaft 74 between collars thereon is an arm 76 carrying a small sprocket 78. Also mounted on the same shaft as pulley 70 is a second small sprocket 80. Trained about these sprockets and other sprockets, to be described, to drive rolls which will feed rods longitudinally, is a chain 82, and to keep the chain taut at all times is a coiled tension spring 84 fastened at one end to the arm' 76 and at the other end to bed plate 14.

Mounted on a bracket 86 secured to one of the angle irons 20 is a bearing 88 supporting a shaft 90 on the rear end of which is fastened a sprocket 92 and onthe front end of which there is a rod driving roll 94. A cooperating shiftable driving roll 96 is mounted on a shaft 98 mounted in the end of an arm 100 fast at its other end on a shaft 102 rotatively mounted in suitable bearings and to which shaft is also secured a depending roll shift and switch control arm 104. The shaft 98 also carries a sprocket 1G6 aligned with the sprockets 9 2, 80, and 78, and the chain 82 passes over the sprockets in such a direction that the rolls 94 and 96 will effect drive of a rod to the right in Fig. 2 when the top roll is forced down onto a rod resting on the bottom roll.

The roll 96 may be raised and lowered by the action of a double acting fluid motor 108 whose cylinder block is pivotally hung on a bracket 110 and Whose piston is pivotally connected to the lower end of the arm 104. In the path of the movement of the arm 104 is a pair of switches 112 and 114, one on each side of the arm. The switches are carried in spaced apart relation onan angle bar 116 secured to the cylinder block. Referring to Fig. 4, it will be noted that a switch 118 pivotally adjustably mounted on a plate 120 supported on a bar 40 is in the path of movement of the arm 55. d

The switch 118 and switches 112 and 114 control the operation of the fluid motors. The rods are intermittently fed transversely of their lengths, see Fig. l, in a direction toward the rolls 96 and 94 and to a position between the rolls, roll 96 for this purpose being raised away from roll 94 When the rod reaches the plane of the rolls. To ensure the front ends of the tubes being in proper position and to render it .easy to initially place the rods in the cleats, an inclined guide board 122 is provided against which the rods are pressed by the operator in laying the rods in the cleats. Thereafter the board cams the bars to proper position as they approach the feed rolls 96, 94. To guide the rods in their passage away from the machine a block 124 with a conical bore 126 is provided, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, through which the rods thread as they are moved longitudinally of the machine.

Each of the cylinders 56 and 108 is provided with a fluid pressure reversing valve. These valves may be four way valves as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 5, operated by electro-magnets under control of the switches 118, 112 and 114.

Fig. 5 assumes a normal position of parts but after closure of a main switch. It may be assumed that there are a number of parallel rods lying in the cleats 36 with no rod in position to be fed by the rolls 96 and 94. Since there is no rod between the feed rolls 96 and 94 the rolls are in contact and the arm 104 has closed switch 114. Now with the main switch 128 closed, current flows from the source of power to a solenoid 130 to rotate a four way valve 132. This causes fluid pressure to fiow to cylinder 108 to lift the roll 96 so that a rod may move laterally to position between the rolls 96 and 94. At the end of the lift motion of the roll 96, arm 104 closes switch 112, closing the circuit to solenoid 134 thereby operating four way valve 136 to admit fluid pressure to the cylinder 56 to cause the arm 55 to move the pawl 52 which in turn advances the conveyor belts one step. At the end of the stroke of arm 55, switch 118 is closed, energizing solenoid 138 to cause valve 136 to reverse, to restore pawl 52 to its initial position. Also closure of switch 118 energizes solenoid 140, causing valve 132 to reverse to force roller 96 toward roller 94. If a rod will have been positioned between the rollers 96 and 94 by the previously described movement of the conveyor belts, then the roll 96 will not move far enough to permit switch 114 to close and the rolls will feed the rod longitudinally. If due to the absence of a rod in the cleats, a rod had not been positioned between the rolls, then roll 96 will move down all the Way to roll 94, switch 114 will be closed, and the cycle of operations just described will be repeated. When a rod is positioned between the rolls it will be fed into the guide block 124 and out from between the rolls. As the rod leaves the rolls, the switch 114 is again closed and another rod will be automatically positioned between the rolls.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is:

1. In object feeding mechanism, a first means for feeding an object transversely of its length, a second feeding means in position to receive the object from the first means to feed the object longitudinally of its length and normally ineffective to cause said object to be moved, means sensitive to the absence of an object at the second feeding means for effecting an object feeding movement of the first means, and further means rendered operative at the completion of movement of the first means for rendering the second means effective for object movement.

2. In a rod feeding machine, an intermittently driven means for feeding rods transversely of their lengths, a continuously driven feeding means having rod driving elements normally spaced apart to receive between them a rod delivered by said first means, means operative at the completion of intermittent movement of the first means for effecting engagement of at least one of said driving elements with said rod to efifect longitudinal movement thereof, and means sensitive to the absence of a rod at the second feeding means for effecting a spacing apart of the driving elements and for effecting a rod feeding movement by said first means.

3. In a rod feeding machine, a first means for feeding rods transversely of their lengths, a second means in position to receive a rod from the first means, said second means having a rod feeding element normally out of engagement with said rod, means sensitive to the absence of a rod at the second feeding means for effecting a rod feeding movement of said first means, and means operative at the completion of movement of the first means for shifting the feeding element into engagement with a rod to move the same in a longitudinal direction.

4. In a rod feeding machine, a first means for feeding rods transversely of their lengths, a second means in position to receive a rod from the first means, said second means having a rod feeding element in a normally inoperative position out of engagement with said rod, means sensitive to the absence of a rod at the second feeding means for effecting a rod feeding movement of said first means, means operative at the completion of movement of the first means for shifting the feeding element into operative engagement with a rod to move the same in a longitudinal direction, and means operative upon completion of longitudinal rod movement to shift said feeding element in a reverse direction back to its normally inoperative position.

5. In a rod feeding machine a first means for feeding rods transversely of their lengths, a second means in position to receive the rods from the first means for feeding rods in a path longitudinally of their lengths, said second means being movable toward and from the rods and including control means fixed for movement with said second means, a first stationary control element operative by said control means upon movement of said second feeding means away from the path of the rods, a second stationary control element operated by said control means upon movement of said second feeding means into the path of longitudinal movement of said rods when no rod is present at said second feeding means, means responsive to the operation of said first stationary control element for effecting movement of said first feeding means, means effective at the end of movement of said first feeding means for moving the second feeding means toward the path of longitudinal movement of the rods, and means responsive to the operation of said second control element for moving the second feeding means away from the path of longitudinal movement of the rods, and to a position where the first control element is operated.

6. In a rod feeding machine, a first means for feeding rods transversely of their length, said means including an oscillatory member operative to feed the rods on a first half cycle, only, of its movement, a second means in position to receive the rods from the first means for feeding rods in a path longitudinally of their length, said second means being movable toward and from the rods and including control means fixed for movement with said second means, a first stationary control element operative by said control means upon movement of said second feeding means away from the path of the rods, a second stationary control element operated by said control means upon movement of said second feeding means into the path of longitudinal movement of said rods when no rod is present at said second feeding means, means responsive to the operation of said first stationary control element for effecting a movement of the first means through its first half cycle, only, means operative at the end of the half cycle movement of the first means to move said first means through its second half cycle and to effect movement of said second feeding means toward the path of longitudinal movement of the rods, and means responsive to the operation of said second control element for moving the second feeding means away from the path of longitudinal movement of the rods, and to a position where the first control element is operated.

7. In a rod feeding machine, means for feeding a rod longitudinally comprising a pair of rod engaging rolls at least one of which is rotatively driven, means for shifting one of the rolls toward and from the other for respecti ely, effecting a feeding movement of a rod and for facilitating the placing of a rod between the rolls and means, including a conveyor, under control of the position of the shiftable roll for efiecting the placement of a rod between the rolls.

8. In a rod feeding machine, means for feeding a rod transversely of its longitudinal axis comprising a conveyor with rod positioners spaced at equal distances along the conveyor, pawl and ratchet means for stepping the conveyor along in increments equal to the spacing of said positions, means Operative at the end of advancing pawl movement for retracting the pawl to initial position, means in position to receive the rods from the first means for feeding the rod longitudinally of its length, set into operation at the end of advancing pawl movement and means under control of the position of the longitudinal rod feeding means for effecting a movement of the pawl in a conveyor feeding direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 461,901 Allis Oct. 27, 1891 1,252,894 Fitzgerald Jan. 8, 1918 1,273,516 Mardon et al. July 23, 1918 1,981,079 Shover Nov. 20, 1934 2,304,447 Feusier Dec. 8, 1942 2,657,784 Stoker Nov. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 27, 

